Diversity on East 6th Street

When we say there was ethnic diversity and racial diversity on east 6th street Austin and in the neighborhoods south of East 6th Street especially on 3rd and Red River is very profound.

6th Street has been a commercial corridor since Austin was founded. East 6th Street’s most notable characteristic was ethnic diversity. In the Austin city directory and Federal Census in 1900 these are the names of families who had businesses on East 6th Street and worked and often lived together. German immigrants owned Schneider Saloon at 515 East 6th, African American Albert Carrington and Martin Hugely ran a grocery 520 East Pecan and a blacksmith shop in the back, while at 417 East 6th the Balagia family with 5 sons all born in Greece ran their business. At 6th and San Jacinto the Lung family from China had a restaurant. Farther down the street at 325 East 6th lived Woo San Woo, Tong Ng Tong and Pon Tag Pon all also from China. The Farris family from the Syrian Arab Republic were merchants at 500 East 6th.  Ike and Sarah Frank a Jewish family from Austria and their four sons lived and worked at 309 East 6th.